Corporate Lawyer

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Corporate Solicitor to join our dynamic Legal Service Team at Duncan & Toplis. As a key member of our team, you will provide expert legal advice to companies, partnerships, directors, shareholders, and partners regarding their rights, responsibilities, and obligations.

• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, gaining a deep understanding of their businesses and identifying opportunities for cross-selling other group services.
• Manage and grow your own case load, participating in client meetings, providing guidance to junior team members, and offering constructive feedback for improvement.
• Collaborate with Directors to identify key areas for discussion and enhancement.
• Oversee administrative duties, including supervising junior staff, assisting with training, and ensuring the accuracy of all work completed.
• Manage finance and budgetary aspects, including timely billing, monitoring Work in Progress (WIP), ensuring recoverability targets are met, tracking debtors, and supporting cash collection.
• Provide legal advice and assistance to current clients while developing new client relationships.
• Ensure all casework adheres to SRA and other compliance requirements.

• Draft shareholders' agreements and partnership agreements.
• Draft documents relating to multi-step reorganisations, including capital reduction mergers, share for share exchanges, gifts of shares, and distributions in specie.
• Draft articles of association, including for Owner Managed Businesses, Joint Ventures, and Property Management Companies.
• Advise on EMI schemes, option agreements/plans, and amending articles.
• Handle share purchases and sales, preparing agreements, advising on warranties, drafting disclosure letters, assisting clients with due diligence, and preparing ancillary documents.
• Manage capital reductions/demergers, drafting resolutions, solvency statements, and compliance documents.

You will be expected to have a level of experience and competence where you are able to produce first drafts of necessary documents with minimal supervision for review by one of the Legal Directors.

• A minimum 2:1 Law degree.
• A qualified corporate solicitor with up to two years post-qualification experience (although other PQE will be considered).
• The ability to work independently, demonstrating high-quality standards and in-depth corporate law expertise.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as familiarity with case management software (Leap) and ability to competently use DocuSign and electronic data rooms.
• The ability to commute to our Grantham office every Wednesday and at least two other days a week, with a base in or around the East Midlands.

Duncan & Toplis is a leading regional accountancy firm, specialising in accountancy, tax, and business advice, as well as supporting clients with legal services, IT support, and wealth management. We help each other as well as our communities, taking our social responsibility seriously by supporting local initiatives through the Duncan & Toplis Foundation.

We offer flexible working arrangements, mental health support, and time to volunteer for charitable work as part of our benefits package.

We develop talent and encourage ambitious individuals to progress their careers and expand their professional and personal development, whilst always ensuring we put our values at the forefront of everything we do.